Our Commitment to Standards

We are actively involved in implementing our part in the national Public Service Reform process. In the management of our work we strive to achieve the highest standards and are guided by the following polices and processes to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.

This Public Service Reform Programme is being led centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

The goal is to achieve high-performing public service organisations that will work together to:

• provide value for money and quality public services
• meet the needs of our community and also our international obligations

It is also underpinned by values of integrity, fairness, accountability and openness.

Our Integrated Reform Delivery Plan has been developed in the light of the Public Service Reform Programme.

It complements our reform and efficiency activities under the Croke Park Agreement (Public Service Agreement 2010-2014).

• the department's Croke Park Action Plan
• our most recent Progress Report and Savings Report
• Note on productivity achievements in the 12 month period to 31 March 2012

Our financial procedures and accounting policies are in line with the Public Financial Procedures issued by the Department of Finance. These are a set of guidelines, issued by the Department of Finance, to ensure that public finances are managed according to best practice.

We use the Public Financial Procedures to develop policies, procedures and guidelines for the department and the management team that ensures our financial management is cohesive and meets the high standards expected from the public service.

On 17 June 2019 the government published a new whole-of-government Climate Action Plan aimed at ensuring that Ireland effectively plays its part in addressing the growing challenges of climate change. The Plan outlined how the various strands of national and local government will work to reduce our country’s greenhouse gas emissions, while at the same time strengthening our resilience and our capacity to adapt to the now unavoidable impacts of climate change. Further legislative measures in this regard are under active consideration by the government.

The work of our Internal Audit Unit in the department is governed by international Internal Audit Standards, which comprise:

• the Definition of Internal Auditing
• the Code of Ethics
• the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (International Standards) issued by the global professional body, the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)

Our fraud policy covers any fraud, whether perpetrated internally or externally against the department. It includes fraud by any provider of goods and services but it does not relate to fraud in wholly independent organisations that have received grants or financial assistance from us.

Our key ways of preventing fraud are by:

• encouraging a culture of awareness and have measures in place to recognise and minimise the risk of fraud
• having procedures in place for the prevention, detection, investigation, reporting and management of fraud
• co-operating fully where an investigation of fraud is carried out
• making available confidential and appropriate reporting mechanisms so that anyone, in good faith, can report genuine concerns
• protecting those who in good faith report instances of suspected fraud
• investigating immediately cases of suspected fraud in accordance with departmental and wider Civil Service procedures and, fully respecting the principles of due process and natural justice, pursue perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law
• maintaining the principles of confidentiality in any investigation of fraud
• learning from any occurrence of fraud to prevent it being repeated

All our staff comply with the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.

For more information on our ethics obligations under the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995 and 2001, contact the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO).